Author
Topic: ETS 125 REQ vs ETS EC 125/3 EQ (Read 804 times)

Between these two what is the real difference. Is the EC worth double the price? What does it do that the REQ does not?

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I have an ETS 125 (and a RO90), for finish sanding it's great. Easy to use, works very well for finish sanding, light weight, and not too expense in a relative Festool sense.

The next sander I get will probably be the ETS EC 125/3. I occasionally need to do heavier sanding that is challenging to do with the ETS 125. You can do it with the ETS 125, but it takes longer.

While it is nice to be able to put a 6" pad on the ETS EC 125/3, that also entails a new investment is sandpaper. I suspect I will stick with the 5" pad. Of course, if I need to sand a lot of very large panels, I might change my mind :-)

Overall, I think the question comes down to what are you trying to sand. There is overlap in the different Festool sanders, and which models are best for you depends on what you need to sand and how much time you have to it.

I have the original 200 watt ETS 125, the 250 watt Pro 5 (just an updated ETS 125), the cordless ETSC 125 and the brushless 400 watt ETS EC 125. The best one in the bunch is the ETS EC by a long shot. With a 3 mm sanding stroke and being brushless with 400 watts of power means that this is a serious sander for many tasks.

The other 3 sanders all have a 2 mm stroke and so they are less aggressive. They're pretty much finish sanders and that's what they were designed for. Of these 3 sanders my favorite is the ETSC cordless version.My least liked version is the original 200 watt ETS. The extra 50 watts makes a substantial difference. The Pro 5 and the new ETS sanders are both 250 watt models.

I periodically swap between the 5" & the 6" pad on the ETS EC. Sometimes smaller is better. Purchasing larger diameter sandpaper is cheaper than purchasing another sander.

The ETS EC must be used with a vac as it has no internal blower to remove the dust. The ETS, Pro 5 and ETSC can be used with a vac or the optional dust bag as they have an internal blower/fan.

If I could only keep one I'd choose the ETS EC...If I could only keep two I'd choose the ETS EC and the ETSC.